"Words into Art" is an exhibition at the British Museum, showcasing the works of Arab artists that combine calligraghy and painting. The exhibition is part of the Festival of Muslim Cultures taking place this year in several British cities with the aim of building bridges and establishing connections between the arts in England and in the Muslim world.
Among the works in the exhibition is a peculiar one entitled “X-Ray 2003.” The work of a a young Saudi doctor, Ahmed Mater, it is neither painting nor calligraphy but manages to combine elements of both. It is an actual X-ray of a human body with writings scribbled around it in what looks like prescriptions from a doctor’s pad; also on the X-ray is a drawing of the Kaa’ba and the Holy Mosque. The painting was bought by the British Museum in what is the first work by a Saudi to be bought by the museum. “I use elements from my everyday life in my paintings” said Ahamd in an interview. “My religious heritage was integrated in it as well as ordinary daily memos.”
When Stephen Stapelton, the advisor on Middle Eastern art at the British Museum, visited Asir several years ago, he was struck by Ahmed’s work. “When I met Ahmed and saw ‘X-Ray 2003,’ I liked it a lot and recommended it to the British Museum.” In London, Ahmed held an exhibition of his work at the Saudi Embassy; included were photographs of Asir and visitors were amazed at the pictures and the beauty of the Kingdom’s southern region. “People here do not know much about Saudi Arabia,” Stapleton said. “In those photos they saw a different side of Saudi Arabia and of course it helped to have Ahmed there as well. For him photography is another way of expressing himself and his surroundings — in other words, Asir where he grew up.
Ahmed explains, “My mother helped me a lot with my work. In Asir, women paint their houses inside out, and they decorate them with beautiful colors and patterns. My mother was one of them and since she has an eye for beauty, she always gave me advice on my work.”
Ahmed, who graduated from medical school last year, held an earlier exhibition that depended completely on X-rays; he used X-rays of different people, some of them he knew personally. He also used his own personal memos and papers. Having studied art at Al-Muftah Fine Arts Village in Abha, Ahmed said that he had been going there since high school. “I had very good teachers there and studying there helped me a lot.”
What charmed the British audience were Ahmed’s roots that were apparent in every detail of his work. He said that to him art “reflects my environment, and my heritage and the heritage of my country.”
Ahmed’s experience in London will stretch beyond his exhibition in the Embasy or the British Museum as he is participating in a series of workshops at the British Museum and he will also give lectures on art in several institutions in the UK.
